KR101347371B1 - Maintenance apparatus for blade of wind turbine and wind turbine having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine. Blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a support cable extending from the upper side of the wind turbine and the upper frame surrounding the blade, and the blade maintenance around the blade at the bottom of the upper frame And a plurality of winch devices provided on the upper frame, the lower frame having the first work unit performing the work, and a plurality of winch devices configured to move up and down the lower frame in the vertical direction of the blade by winding or unwinding wires connected to the lower frame.

Description

Blade maintenance device for wind turbines and wind turbines with the same. {MAINTENANCE APPARATUS FOR BLADE OF WIND TURBINE AND WIND TURBINE HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a maintenance apparatus of a blade for a wind turbine and a wind turbine having the same.

A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy through mechanical movement.

These wind turbines include a blade that converts the energy of the wind into a rotating power, a hub that connects multiple blades, a gearbox that converts low-speed blade rotations to high-speed rotations for generators, A generator for converting the rotational force into electricity, and various systems for controlling the wind turbine. At the top of the wind turbine, a nacelle is installed with a built-in booster, a generator and various systems, and the nacelle is supported by a tower.

On the other hand, the quality of the blade surface of a wind turbine plays an important role in maintaining operating efficiency, so dust, salt coating, dead insects and bird discharges accumulated on the blade surface need to be periodically cleaned. Maintenance of wind turbine blades has been attempted by using large cranes or lift devices, but the use of such devices presents difficulties in accessibility and cost, so in recent years, operators perform maintenance without directly accessing the blades of the wind turbine. Devices that can do this are being developed. As an example of such a device, US Patent Publication No. 2009/0173573 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-309098 disclose a device for blade maintenance of a wind turbine.

Patent Document 1: US Patent Publication No. 2009-0173573 (2009.07.09 publication) Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-309098 (published Dec. 25, 2008)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine suitable for performing blade maintenance operations of the wind turbine.

According to an aspect of the present invention, in the blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine performing a blade maintenance operation of the wind turbine, and connected to a support cable extending from the upper side of the wind turbine and the upper frame surrounding the blade and The lower frame is wrapped around the blade in the lower part of the upper frame and the lower frame is installed, the first work unit is installed to perform the maintenance work of the blade, the upper frame is provided on one end of the winding or loosening the wire connected to the lower frame Blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine including a plurality of winch device for lifting and lowering the lower frame in the vertical direction of the blade can be provided.

In addition, the lower frame may be formed with a rail groove for supporting the first work unit to be movable sliding.

The apparatus may further include a second work unit installed to move up and down on the wire positioned between the upper frame and the lower frame and perform maintenance work of the blade.

In addition, the second working unit includes a lifting device including a plurality of rollers to climb or climb the wire.

In addition, the elevating device includes a drive roller rotated by a drive source, a guide roller disposed above and below the drive roller, and a casing through which the drive roller and the guide roller are rotatably installed and through which the wire passes. .

The maintenance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is capable of stably supporting and elevating the lower frame in which the work unit is installed by the wire extending from the upper frame, thereby smoothly performing maintenance work on the blade for the wind turbine. .

1 shows a state in which a maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a wind turbine.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the maintenance device is disposed in the wind turbine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view of the maintenance apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the interior of the lifting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an operation state diagram showing a state in which the lower frame of the maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention rises.
6 is an operating state diagram showing a state in which the second working unit of the maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is raised.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art will be able to fully understand the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in other forms. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted from the drawings, and the width, length, thickness, etc. of the components may be exaggerated for convenience. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

1 illustrates a state in which a maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a wind turbine.

1, a wind turbine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tower 11, a nacelle 13 mounted on the top of the tower 11, a hub (not shown) rotatably coupled to the nacelle 13 And a plurality of blades 17 coupled to the hub 15 to convert the energy of the wind into rotational power. Inside the nacelle 13, a gearbox for converting the rotational speed of the blade 17 at a low speed into a high-speed rotation for the generator, a generator for converting the rotational force into electric power, and various other components for controlling the wind turbine The system can be embedded. A plurality of blades 17 are radially installed on the hub 15 and rotate the hub 15 by being rotated by the wind. The rotational force of the hub 15 is transmitted to the generator via the accelerator connected to the main shaft, and the generator is rotated to generate electricity. The tower 11 has a height of about tens to hundreds of meters, and its diameter is tapered to become narrower toward the upper part.

On the other hand, the plurality of blades 17 may be damaged due to long use or foreign matters may be attached to the surface thereof, and the maintenance device 20 for detecting the damage or removing the foreign matters may be disposed in the vertical direction of the blades 17. It may be provided to rise and fall.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the maintenance device is disposed in the wind turbine according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a side view of the maintenance device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3, the maintenance apparatus 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is the upper frame 30 and the lower portion of the upper frame 30 surrounding the blade 17 of the blade 17 It includes a lower frame 40 surrounding the periphery. The upper frame 30 and the lower frame 40 may be made of a suitable lightweight material such as aluminum, plastic or polymer so as to reduce the overall weight of the maintenance device 20. In addition, the upper frame 30 and the lower frame 40 may be arranged to form a rectangular shape of the closed section. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the upper and lower frames 30 and 40 are formed in a quadrangular shape of the closed cross section, but this corresponds to an example, and the circular, tower and polygonal frames surrounding the outside of the blade 17 are formed. Naturally, it can be provided to have.

The upper frame 30 is supported by the support cable 50 extending from the upper side of the wind turbine 10, the lower frame 40 is maintained by the wire 60 extending from the upper frame 30 Can be. One end of the support cable 50 may be fixed to the hub 13, a part of the support cable 50 may be fixed to the hub 13 or the nacelle 13, or the whole of the support cable 50 may be supported. The support cable 50 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which four support cables 50 are supported near each corner of the upper frame 30 having a rectangular shape. However, the support cable 50 corresponds to an example. Of course, may be provided in the appropriate number in the appropriate position for a stable support according to the shape of the upper frame (30). In addition, the winch device 70 may be installed near four corners of the upper frame 30. The winch device 70 is a device for winding or unwinding a wire 60 wound on a drum rotated by a motor. Ends of the respective wires 60 of the winch device 70 installed near the four corners of the upper frame 30 may be fixed to the eye bolts 73 installed near the four corners of the corresponding lower frame 40. Through this, the lower frame 40 is disposed in a state supported by the wire 60 extending downward from the winch device 70 installed in the upper frame 30, and wound or wound in accordance with the driving of the winch device 70. The pulley can move up and down in the vertical direction of the blade 17 by the wire 60.

The lower frame 40 may be provided with a first work unit 80 for performing the maintenance work of the blade 17. The first work unit 80 includes a cleaning device 81 for removing the foreign matter attached to the outer surface of the blade 17, and an inspection device 82 for detecting whether the blade 17 is defective. The cleaning device 81 includes a robot arm 83 and a brush 84 installed at an end of the robot arm 83. The robot arm 83 includes a plurality of links and joints capable of multi-degree of freedom movement, and each joint may be provided with a driving means such as a servo motor. In addition, although not shown, the cleaning device 81 may further include a cleaning solution supply device for supplying the cleaning solution to the brush 84. The washing liquid supply device may include a tank storing the washing liquid, a pump for pumping the washing liquid stored in the tank, a flow path for supplying the washing liquid from the pump to the brush 84, and a nozzle installed at the brush 84.

The inspection device 82 includes a robot arm 85 and a camera 86 installed at the end of the robot arm 85. The robot arm 85 includes a plurality of links and joints capable of multi-degree of freedom movement, and each joint may be provided with a driving means such as a servo motor. The camera 86 checks whether the surface of the blade 17 is defective by photographing and transmitting an image of the blade 17. Such a camera 86 may consist of a visual camera, an infrared camera, an ultraviolet camera, a video camera, or the like, or include a suitable imaging device such as an ultrasonic detector or an X-ray detector. Although not shown, the first work unit 80 may include a controller for operation control, a battery for supplying power, a wired / wireless communication unit for communication, and the like. In addition, the first work unit 80 includes a moving block 87 for supporting the cleaning device 81 and the inspection device 82 to be slidably movable to the lower frame 40. The moving block 87 is provided with a plurality of rollers 88 coupled to the rail grooves 47 formed in the lower frame 40, and the plurality of rollers 88 are rotated by a driving motor (not shown) to move the moving block ( 87) can be moved.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the first work unit 80 is provided to be slidably movable in the lower frame 40 by the moving block 87, but this is only an example, and the moving block 87 is linear motion. Of course, it can be provided in the form of a guide. That is, the moving block 87 may be provided to reciprocate along the guide rail by driving an actuator such as a servo motor. In addition, the first work unit 80 may be detachably coupled to the moving block 87. This is in order to be able to replace the appropriate device according to the maintenance purpose of the blade 17. In addition, the robot arm (83,85) is composed of a vertical articulated arm, but this is only an example, it may be composed of a horizontal articulated arm, or a combination or a single arm of course. On the other hand, the maintenance device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a second working unit 90 which is installed to move up and down on the wire 60 supporting the lower frame 40.

The second work unit 90 includes a lifting device 100 in the form of a cable feeder that rides up or down a wire 60 disposed between the upper frame 30 and the lower frame 40. The lifting device 100 may be provided with the cleaning device 81 and the inspection device 82 described above for the maintenance work of the blade 17.

As shown in FIG. 4, the elevating device 100 includes a driving roller 101 having a portion of the wire 60 wound around its outer surface, and a plurality of guide rollers 103 and 104 disposed on the upper and lower portions of the driving roller 101. And a casing 107 in which the driving roller 101 and the plurality of guide rollers 103 and 104 are rotatably installed. In addition, the elevating device 100 includes a drive source 109 (see Fig. 3) made of a motor or the like for driving the drive roller 101 outside the casing 107. The wire 60 is installed to penetrate the casing 107 up and down, and the wire 60 located inside the casing 107 is brought into close contact between the driving roller 101 and the guide rollers 103 and 104 so as to be in frictional contact. Is placed. The guide rollers 103 and 104 may be provided in pairs on both sides of the wire 60 to guide the direction in which the wire 60 enters or exits the driving roller 101. Accordingly, the lifting device 100 moves up and down along the wire 60 in accordance with the rotational direction of the driving roller 101 rotated by the drive source 109, and according to the movement of the lifting device 100, the second operation is performed. The unit 90 performs maintenance work of the blade 17 through a cleaning device 81, an inspection device 82, or a welding and painting device (not shown) coupled to the casing 107.

Meanwhile, the first and second work units 80 and 90 are not limited to the cleaning device 81 and the inspection device 82. For example, the first and second working units 80 and 90 may include all the devices for maintenance work of the blade 17, such as a painting apparatus and a welding apparatus.

Hereinafter will be described the operation of the maintenance device of the blade for a wind turbine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an operational state diagram showing a state in which the lower frame of the maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention rises, and FIG. 6 illustrates a state in which the second work unit of the maintenance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention rises. This is an operation state diagram.

First, the maintenance device 20 of the embodiment of the present invention may be transported near the wind turbine 10 for performing maintenance. The maintenance device 20 may be transported by a utility transport vehicle when the wind turbine 10 is installed on the ground, and may be transported by a separate transport ship when the wind turbine 10 is installed at sea. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the maintenance apparatus 20 is installed in the wind turbine 10. In this case, when the upper end of the support cable 50 is fixed to the hub 15, the upper frame 30 of the maintenance device 20 is arranged to surround the blade 17 on the upper side of the blade 17, The lower frame 40 is disposed to surround the blade 17 at the lower side of the blade 17 while being supported by the wire 60 extending from the upper frame 30. Then, the surface of the blade 17 is inspected or cleaned by the first work unit 80 installed in the lower frame 40, and the lower frame 40 is operated by operating the winch device 70 installed in the upper frame 30. ) To perform the maintenance work of the blade 17 while moving to the upper direction of the blade (17). In this case, since the lower frame 40 is moved up and down while being supported by the wire 60 extending from the upper frame 30, the stability of the lower frame 40 is greatly improved, and the lower frame 40 is improved. Even during the maintenance work of the blade 17 through the first work unit 80 installed in the it becomes possible to support a stable.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, during the maintenance work of the blade 17 through the first work unit 80 installed in the lower frame 40, the second work unit (2) installed to be elevated on the wire 60 ( Through 90 it is possible to perform the maintenance work of the blade (17). That is, the second work unit 90 performs the inspection or cleaning of the blade 17 while moving up and down along the wire 60 supporting the lower frame 40, so that the maintenance work time of the blade 17 is remarkably. It can be shortened.

The foregoing has shown and described specific embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

10: wind turbine, 17: blade,
20: maintenance unit, 30: upper frame,
40: lower frame, 50: support cable,
60: wire, 70: winch device,
80: first working unit, 90: second working unit,
100: lifting device, 101: driving roller,
103, 104: guide roller, 107: casing,
109: drive source.

Claims (6)

In the blade maintenance device for a wind turbine that performs blade maintenance work of the wind turbine,
An upper frame connected to a support cable extending from an upper side of the wind turbine and surrounding the blade;
A lower frame provided with a first work unit wrapped around the blade at the lower part of the upper frame to perform maintenance of the blade; And
And a plurality of winch devices provided on the upper frame and configured to wind up or unwind one end of the wire connected to the lower frame to move the lower frame in the vertical direction of the blade. The method of claim 1,
Blade maintenance device for a wind turbine is formed in the lower frame rail groove for supporting the first work unit to be movable sliding. The method of claim 1,
The blade maintenance apparatus for a wind turbine further comprises a second work unit installed to move up and down on the wire located between the upper frame and the lower frame and perform maintenance work of the blade. The method of claim 3, wherein
The second work unit is a blade maintenance device for a wind turbine comprising a lifting device including a plurality of rollers to ride up or down the wire. 5. The method of claim 4,
The lifting apparatus includes a driving roller rotated by a driving source, a guide roller disposed above and below the driving roller, and a casing through which the driving roller and the guide roller are rotatably installed and through which the wire passes. Blade maintenance device. A wind turbine with a blade maintenance device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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